February Runfessional: Baring my Sole(s)

February 23, 2018

Join me for the February runfessional where I tell all and bare my sole(s)!

Today is usually one of my favorite days of the month. The final Friday of the month — when we air our running-related grievances with Marcia’s Runfessions combined with the Friday Five 2.0. I say “usually” because this will be my second non-running runfessional in a row. I grappled with whether I should link up or not but since most of my runfessional is at least fitness related, I figured why not. Hope you enjoy my February runfessional.

February Runfessional: Baring my Sole(s)

I was finally cleared to run a couple miles a little over a week ago. I planned on starting slow and low. I ran on the treadmill so as not to tempt the running Gods and managed one mile. I took a rest day and then ran a mile and a half two days in a row. All felt right in the world. But…

When did running get so hard?

Running is really, really hard. Like, absurdly hard. I did a good job of keeping my cardio fitness in check over the last two months, but getting back to using my legs as power is a lot harder than I anticipated. Up until this point, the longest I’ve ever taken off from running was three weeks. Five more weeks apparently makes a huge difference when it comes to weight bearing vs. non-weight bearing activities.

Recovery is taking a while…

I was incredibly disappointed that I was finally feeling awesome and strong, cleared to run and then… WHAM! Hit with the flu. At the time of this writing, I haven’t done any physical therapy exercises in exactly one week. I actually had to cancel my appointment for this week because I’m a) still recovering from the flu and b) I haven’t made any progress. I did manage to run/walk for two miles, though, so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to get back to PT exercises in the next day or two.

February Runfessional

Will I be “half ready” by May 20?

I’m starting to worry that I won’t be ready to run the Cleveland Marathon — the half, anyway. The race is on May 20 which means 12 weeks of training would begin this weekend. I have no base at all to work from. I can’t even run two miles. I could choose to run the 5K, 8K, or 10K, but I’d really rather not. I love the 5K because I love running hard and fast but I’m not sure if my body would be ready for that. I’ve never run an 8K and I don’t love the 10K distance.

I don’t know what to do.

I’m stuck in the Upside Down!

I’ve got cabin fever. BAD. It’s a combination of winter, cold air, and gloomy skies, and then being sick and not running. Wicked bad combo if you ask me. The days that it’s sunny (which are rare) make me long for warm, summer days all the more. I can’t recall a longer winter in recent history. It’s been cold since Halloween and I’ve been stuck there ever since. Almost like I’m stuck in the Upside Down. Except it’s real life and it’s really winter. To say I’m looking forward to spring would be the most understated understatement of the entire century. (No, I’m not being dramatic at all.)

“The Sun will shine in my back door someday. March winds will blow all my troubles away.”

The human body is an amazing thing.

I’ve been geeking out over fitness-related stuff lately. Everything from training to the musculoskeletal system to hormones and the immune system. I already knew the human body was an amazing thing but I runfess the more I learn the more it blows my mind.

And in something completely not running related but I have to get it off my chest…

It’s been hard to be a parent of school-age children this last week. Really hard. I say goodbye to my children every morning and pray they’ll come home every afternoon — and I don’t even pray. The high school kids making waves give me hope and I would stand beside them if I could. I hope their waves turn into tsunamis that can’t be ignored.

Keep your family close not only this day but every day. Cheers to a lovely weekend with family and friends. Remember: hug a little tighter, love a little more.

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72 Comments

How frustrating to get so sick right after you were able to return to running! I found that my first few runs back were really hard but then all of sudden one day it felt normal again. Maybe in a few weeks you’ll have a better idea about the Cleveland races. Even though it’s tough to “race” a 5k, by then you may be ready to try to challenge yourself and just see where your speed is!

I can’t even imagine what it’s like to be a parent these days. As if the world weren’t an already stressful place. I personally think that shootings shouldn’t be covered in the news. I bet you’d see less of them. But we should never see ANY & it is important to know what’s going on. I have no answers. 🙁

You can definitely do the half. The question is can you race the half? I think the answer is yes. But the trick would be to dial down your expectations & not push too hard in training. But hey, you have a coach . . . oh, and obviously I linked up, too, & it’s not as though I had a lot of running going on this month either.

Awhhhhhh, I wish I could hug you in person. I know your rally back is gonna be epic, even though it feels like a century away at the moment. I spent three months in a state similar to yours, but am thankful I at least had sunny days and much warmer weather to help me cope with everything. And the Cleveland Half should be an great comeback race….even if you’re not quite up to “racing” it. I bet your endurance will surprise you once you’re finished with all this flu crap. ((hugs))

I know you can relate so much. I almost think I would be more miserable if I were injured in the summer so I’m kinda glad the weather is awful and I don’t want to be outside anyway. But it’s still so hard!

I think you will find that once you really get back to training, your running will improve faster than you expect. I am always surprised at how hard the first week or two back is, but then things click and my body remembers how to run. You have a fabulous base, so I’m sure you will come back quickly once you are healthy, although, yes, those first couple of weeks will be hard.

Yeah, not a great time to be sending kids off to school. I could never homeschool because my kids would learn nothing, but some days…

Are you still planning to run MCM? I got into the 17.75 race, so I intend to be there.

I’m not sure about MCM. I didn’t register for 17.75 because a) I can’t make the trip twice and b) my mileage is shot right now. But if I can stay injury-free within the next month I’ll definitely be considering putting in for the lottery. We will have to make plans if I can come this year!

I could also never homeschool. I have no patience. Hence why I’m not a teacher. But there are definitely some days I consider it.

So sorry you got sick! Hopefully once you are better and able to run consistently it will come back quickly. I think 12 weeks — or even 10 — is enough time to get ready for the half, as long as you goal is to finish versus PR. (((hugs)))

Yes, definitely to finish. No PRs here. I think 10-12 weeks is good, too, but I’ve never come into a training cycle with such little in terms of base mileage. I think that’s where I’m getting hung up. But I suppose if the 10-12 weeks is ONLY base mileage, then what’s the difference?

Running is hard and very humbling at times. I know once you get back to your regular run schedule you will quickly be able to be back on track. I had to take 3 months off for a stress fracture and then did a Ragnar race a month later. You will be fine! Why the barefoot running? Just wondering

Wow, that’s amazing! That definitely gives me hope. Did you use the Alter-G or just take time off completely?

I like to run barefoot every now and again because it helps keep my form, balance, and strength in check. I do almost everything barefoot anyway so sometimes having a shoe on throws me off. And if I’m at home on the treadmill, why not, right?

I did do the alter G a few times but it was not convenient. I kept up w my cardio by biking and swimming I did lots of strength training. Worked up to running 5 miles and then did 15 for the Ragnar no problem. Remember I am not a marathon runner. You will be just fine if you let yourself heal

I so share your pain over the school safety thing. I was almost in tears when I had to bring my 6th grader her notebook and had to be buzzed in through 2 separate doors and still I know they’re not safe. So so sad.
I couldn’t agree more with how hard running is and we don’t realize it until we step away. It’s brutal. That said, you will be ready for that half!

Aughh! That’s so frustrating!! I finally went running again for the first time in ages earlier this week and…got stuck with a terrible cold (seems more cold-like than flu-like at the moment ._.). I hope you feel better soon! :[ Being sick sucks!

I hope you don’t have the flu. I thought mine was a cold until my son tested positive for flu B. I never had the high fever just the major, unrelenting fatigue and a little bit of a stuffy nose. It was so strange.

I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles and getting sick with the flu. My husband is sick (not sure if it’s the flu or not) so I’ve been upping my Vitamin C, Vitamin D, using essential oils, washing my hands more and just trying to stay healthy and not catch his bug. Let your body heal and you will be back at it in no time! Muscle memory will help you get back to where you were before!

Getting sick when you’re trying to make a comeback after injury is seriously the worst. I’m sorry you got the flu!! And yeah, returning to running after a period of non-weight bearing is definitely hard. I think being patient is key (and no, I am not a patient person) but that’s what helped me. Every time I was able to get out for a run, I was just so damn happy that I was out there that I pushed the “this is so stinkin’ hard!” thoughts to the side. And I agree with the other comments about muscle memory. It really does play a big role and you’ll fire that memory back up in no time!

I can relate to so much of this. Running has been so hard for me too – I was just getting into a groove when the flu hit. I’m sure once you get rolling again you’ll get into half marathon form quickly. And the whole sending your kids off to school – it’s been so hard. I too take hope in what this group of high schoolers is doing.

Running is really hard after a long break – but it’s also surprising how fast it starts to feel “normal” again. I actually love 8K races! To me that distance feels a little bit easier than both 5K and 10K.

I’m so sorry you got sick Rachel!! Good times are definitely on their way to you really soon!!! You totally deserve it!

I can’t imagine being a parent (or a child) in these times, but hopefully soon things will take a turn for the better. I don’t know how we got to this place but it’s terrifying the things that we’ve somewhat become so normalized by…Hopefully the children that will soon be our future leaders can make bigger and better changes as they draw from these experiences they’ve unfortuantely had to endure at such a young age.

I think once you are fully recovered from the flu, you’ll find your running mileage returns quickly. I just want to say, I admire the grace in which you handle your recovery period. I would be wallowing in self pity and bitterness. Thanks for the linkup!

That is good news that you got cleared to run, even if it is only a short distance. When I was recovering, this time of year was hard because as the weather warmed up, I wanted to be out there running like I use to. I know now that I needed to not push myself. Enjoy recovering, taking it slow, and building your base, Those races will be there when you are ready! Good luck deciding on which distance to run.

I broke my kneecap a couple years ago and had to take eight weeks off so I totally get what you mean. Coming back is hard. I think part of it is because you have your expectations of where you were, so you expect to just go out and run. I guess it doesn’t work that way.

That has got to be so frustrating, I’m sorry! One of my best friends is a huge mountain bike rider and she broke her ankle and couldn’t ride for a long time. She was also frustrated & surprised at how much strength she lost and she even still worked on her trainer when she wasn’t supposed to.

I am sorry to hear you get sick with the flu. Feel better soon. Take it easy with your half marathon training. I am sure you will ready. Remember to just have fun! Oh, and the school safety thing. I know what you mean. I am a teacher and the other day we had a practice lockdown and I cried during those moments of silence.

Oh my gosh, Zenaida. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling. I want to cry just thinking about the teachers and staff at my children’s schools. Hugs to you. Thank you for being a caring individual.

Oh geez …the flu? You can’t catch a break, can you? I’ve been in a funk as well so I get it. Today was only the 4th time I’ve run since my marathon and it wasn’t pretty …at all! Thankfully our bodies don’t forget and you’ll get your speed back in no time! Go for the half …just take it easy and do it for the love and fun of running …just to finish! xoxo

It’s so funny (<- well, not really) how hard it is to come back to running after a break…. it's like, you know how to do it, but your legs don't seem to remember…. I really hope that it will feel easier again soon.

It HAS been a long winter, even here in Houston.
Bummer for getting back into it and then getting the flu. It has been rotten this year.
I have been praying a LOT over all the kiddos and teachers in our schools.

I don’t have kids, but I’m so grateful I’m not a student nowadays. So much has changed in the 20+ years since high school. It’s heartbreaking. I’m with you and hopeful that the kids speaking out will actually be heard and changes will actually come our way.

Sorry you got the flu. That’s rough. I haven’t had the flu in many years, but even a cold isn’t much fun and I get those at least once a winter. I feel like I probably don’t have any right to complain, but winter seems to be dragging on here in Vegas. Nothing like Cleveland, but we had a few weeks of Spring-like and then it’s been so cold {for us} the past few weeks that I’m definitely ready for Spring as well.

Hope you get back to your PT exercises again soon and that your running gets stronger. Take your time and I’ll keep my fingers crossed that you’ll be ready for the Cleveland half in May.